All Other Things Being Equal…I could have stayed in bed 2012

“Being a scientist means getting out of bed every morning to run experiments that won’t be useable 95% of the time”

Anonymous

If we had full control over every little thing, we could figure out what happened every time we tweaked just one bit. This is the strategy some of us use to make rational decisions. It is also the basis of a lot of experimental science.

The scientists that inhabit experimental labs know only too well the pitfalls of assuming you can make all else equal in order to solve a question. The results are often disappointing: nothing goes as planned. Yet scientists get out of bed every morning and repeat their experiments again and again, leading to more disappointing than informative data.

“All Other Things Being Equal…” is an artist’s attempts at appropriating the scientific process observed in the lab. Focusing on the repetitive practice of the scientists, and the resulting accumulation of detritus, it questions whether when we know we might fail, shouldn’t we just stay in bed?

The exhibition includes an idealized scientist’s workspace complete with experimental set-up. It presents insights into the scientists’ mind, as the artist works to understand what makes them get up in the morning and repeat what is usually a disappointing day. Ultimately, the findings might shed light on what drives us all.